Intestinal ischemia after bushmaster (Lachesis muta) snakebite - a case report

After a snakebite by the Costa Rican bushmaster Lachesis stenophrys, a 64-y ear-old patient developed cardiovascular shock and coagulopathy. After inte nsive care and antivenom treatment, he was discharged after 4 days but had to be hospitalised again 3 days later because of abdominal pain and bowel o bstruction. An emergency laparotomy revealed a necrotic ileum and caecum, a nd an obstruction of the superior mesenteric artery. Until now, this type o f intestinal ischemic complication after a snakebite has not been reported in the literature. The effects of bushmaster venom are discussed. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.